Rotary engine



(No Model.)

A. G. LEWIS. ROTARY ENGINE.

Patented Jan. '5

VIIIIIIIIIIAR To all whom, it may concern;

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER O. LEWIS, OF MCORORY, ARKANSAS.

ROTARY ENGIN E.

srncrrrcn'rron forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,540, dated January5,1892.

" Application filed June gs, 1891. Serial No. 395,305. (No model.)

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER O. LEWIS,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at McOrory, in the county ofWoodrufi and State of Arkansas, have inventeda new and useful RotaryEngine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in rotary steam-engines, and hasfor its object to provide an engine the construction of which permits afull utilization of the steam-power and at the same time the valves andother parts are so evenly balanced and receive the force of the steam inequal proportion to each other, so as to materially reduce friction; andit consists of a double-cylinder engine provided with eccentricallymounted pistons within each cylinder, the same being provided withpeculiarly constructed and arranged valvesand further details ofconstruction that will be hereinafter more fully explained, illustratedin the accompanying drawings, and specifically pointed out in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a rotarysteam-engine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical transverse sectional View through one of the engine-cylinders.Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View I through bothcylinders, the pistons and valves in each in opposite positions.

. Referring to the accompanying drawings by letter, AA designate the twocylinders of which this engine is composed. W'ithin'each cylinder andeocentrically mounted upon the drive-shaft B is the piston O, which isprovided with a triangular recess 0, within which the valve D isdesigned to Work and be seated. The valve D is triangular in shape withcurvilinear sides to conform in shape and contour to the triangularrecess within the piston that forms the valve-seat, and the apex of thetriangular-shaped valve is provided with a rounded projection d, that isadapted to take into and work within the concaved recess 0 atone of theextremities of the sides forming the triangular recess within thepiston,thus forming a'simple but 5o firm pivotal'connection between the valvecated at the extremity opposite to that in which the valve is pivoted,and thus allows the valve to fit closely within its seat and form acontinuous circle with'the periphery of the piston, and thus allow thesame to revolve freely within the casing. The corner of the valve Dopposite to that which is provided with a projecting tongue is beveledat dithat bears upon one of the sides of the triangular recess duriu gthe back-and-forth m0- tion'of the valve within the same, the saidbearing-face being provided with suitable packing (:1 which communicateswith the face packing d seated in the valve across its entire 7 face,and the side ofthis valve upon which the steam bears is concaved inorder that there may be a uniform pressure exerted upon theaccomplished, inasmuch as this side of the valve does not register withthe side of the triangular recess corresponding to the same, and thuspermits the steam to bear upon this face of the triangular valve fromits beveled corner to the projecting tongue, which bears against theinner periphery of the cylindercasing during the entire revolution ofthe piston whether the valve is partially within the recess or entirelywithout the same. The upper end of each cylinder is further providedwith a triangular valve seat and recess E, corresponding in shape to therecess within the piston, and within which also works a triangular valveF of an analogous shape to that of the piston-valve, but has all of itssides concaved, in order whenclosed-to seat itself snugly within itsseat, and also to preserve the circle of the inner periphery of thevalvecasing when it is in its closed position and allow the piston tofreely pass thereby. This valve is also provided with a roundedprojection f, that is seated in and pivotally works within the concavedrecess 6, located at the extremity of one of the sides forming thevalve-recess, and it is also provided withthe beveled portion 'f, inwhich is located the packing f that is adapted to bear against the faceof one of the sides forming said recess, corresponding to theconstruction and operation of the valve in the piston, and also has theoppositely-beveled portion f. The steam-bearing face is concaved similarto that of its corresponding valve, in order that it may have abearing-face of equal area to thatof said piston-valve at every point duringthe revolution of the piston, and which causes the valve to follow andbear upon the eccentric also durin g its entire movement, said valvebeing also provided with the face-packing f", communicating with thepacking f located at one of said extremities of said valve.

The piston within each cylinder is mounted upon the same shaft, but doesnot register with the movement of the other,butalternates, in order thatthere may be no dead-center, and the liability to the same iseffectually overcome. The steam is admitted to the cylinders through thesupply-pipe G, connected with any suitable generator and connecting withthe steam-inlet opening, G, and the same is alternately fed into andshut off from the respective cylinders by means of the oscillatingvalves II, which extend through the entire length of both cylinders andcontrol the inlet of the steam through the openings 1, over whichbeveled portions f abut when the valve E is closed, communicating withthe interior of the cylinder, and which opens directly upon the concavedbearing-face of the valve located at the top of the cylinders, and thesaid oscillating valves are operated by means of the eccentric K uponthe drive-shaft outside of the cylinder connecting with the crankarm onthe valve-stem h, extendin g without the cylinder. \Vhen the steam isshut off from one cylinder, the same is allowed to pass freely to theother cylinder through the passage 9 in each cylinder-head, as also isthe exhaustoutlet L, located at the opposite side of the cylinder-headin communication with each cylinder through the passage Z, locatedcorrespondingly to that of the supply steam-passage referred to, theexhaust-outlet L being connected with the exhaust-pipe Z opposite to thesupply-pipe and suitably secured in said outlet-passage to conduct theexhauststeam from the cylinders. An opening M in the valve-seat andrecess at the top of the cylinder communicating with the recess andvalve-seat in the opposite cylinder prevents back-suction orback-pressure upon the valve working within the recess, and thus permitsfree motion of the same within said recess.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the operation of myinvention is quite apparent. The steam upon its entrance at the upperend of the cylinder bears first upon the valve located at this point andthrows the same down upon the periphery of the piston eccentricallymounted within the cylinder-casing and is then deflected around andthrows the piston-valve open and against the inner periphery of thecasing, the area of pressure upon both valves being co-extensive, andthe sameare evenly balanced and permit a ready throw of the piston,which is also sisted in its revolution by the steam bearing thereupon.As the piston revolves the valves at first are thrown partially open,then to their full extent, and finally, when the piston has completed arevolution, both valves fit snugly within their seats, the upper valveclosing the inlet-opening momentarily while the piston passes thispoint, which it is assisted in doing by the piston in the oppositecylinder, which is revolving under full steampressure, as thesupply-controlhng valve has now shut oft the steam from the presentcylinder, the exhaust-port being of course left freely open.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent,

1. In a rotary steam-engine, the combination,with a double cylinder andplstons eccentrieally mounted therein upon the same shaft, of atriangular-shaped recess Wlthlll each piston, triangularVttlVGSJJlVOiJBd to said pistons and working within said recesses, andtriangular valves located at the top of each cylinder Withincorrespondingly-constructed triangular recesses and adapted to impingeupon the periphery of the revolvlng pistons during the entirerevolution, substantially as set forth.

2. In a rotary steam-engine, the combination, with a double cylinder andpistons eccentrically mounted therein upon the same shaft, of atriangular-shaped recess within each piston and having curvilinears1des,triangular valves pivoted to said pistons and having curved sidesto correspond with the side of the recess forming its seat and tocomplete the circle of the eccentric-piston when the valve is closed,and also to provide a concaved steam bearing-face, and triangular valvesprovided with curved sides and located at the top of each cylinderwithln correspondingly-constructed triangular recesses, said valvesbeing designed to oscillate in said recesses and under the pressure ofsteam to have one of the angle ends thereof always in contact with theperiphery of said eccentricpistons substantially as set forth.

3. In a rotary steam-engine, the combination, with a double cylinder andvalved pistons eccentrically mounted therein upon the same shaft, of atriangular-shaped recess located at the top of each cylinder and havingcurvilinear sides and triangular-shaped valves provided with asemi-rounded projection that is adapted to work within the concavedrecess located at one of the extremities of the sides forming saidtriangular recess, the sides of said valves all being concaved toconform to the valve-seat, the inner periphery of the cylinder-casing,and to provide a bearing-face for the steam extending the entire lengthof the side of the valve, substantially as set forth.

l. In a rotary steam-engine, the combination, with a double cylinder andpistons eecentrically mounted therein, of an alternatelyoperatingoscillating supply-regnlatin g valve, a triangular-shaped recess Withineach piston and having curvilinear sides, a concaved recess andshouldered ledge at opposite terminals of the sides forming said recess,a triangularly-shaped valve having sides corresponding to the valve-seatand the periphery of the piston and also having a ooncaved steambearing-face, a rounded projection taking into said concaved recess anda projecting tongue adapted to seat itself in said shouldered ledge, andtriangular valves having concaved sides located at the top of eachcylinrder Within correspondingly-triangular 1'e- Witnesses:

A. MONTGOMERY, E. J. ORossE'rr.

